Bulletproof Picasso
by captainqueer
Summary: "Am I made of paper, cause I tear so easily; Am I made of vapor, because I disappear; Do I have to have a reason, for anything I feel; Just be glad I'm real." Mei Roquette, having been recently kicked out of her home, stumbles upon Ouran and becomes their newest student, on a Music Scholarship. After helping Haruhi, she's offered a position to be the Host Club's newest member.
1. Chapter 1

**Cover is done by Fukari on DeviantArt. Go give them some love, their art is _amazing_! **

**Disclaimer; I don't own shit. Except for Mei.**

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><p>Why would someone paint an entire school pink? I mean, I'm all for the color (if my dyed hair is anything to go by), but to paint an <em>entire <em>school? That's just crazy.

Ouran's Private Highschool Academy. I was lucky enough to get in on a Music scholarship, not having the money to get in without. And then, after explaining my living situations to the Dean(who was absolutely crazy), he offered to pay for an apartment for me, as long as I kept my grades up high.

Of course, having been on the streets for the last two weeks, switching from shelter to shelter, how was I going to refuse free housing?

I wasn't, that's how.

It was a lot nicer, and cleaner, than my old home, that's for sure. I could remember every detail about that house clearly, especially the day I was kicked out of it.

_"Mom, I- uh, have something to tell you." I moved some food around on my plate, glancing up at my mother, who was too busy messing around on her phone to eat the food I'd cooked._

_"Well, get on with it." She didn't even look up from the phone._

_"Are you listening?" I could feel my heart start pounding, and my hands were getting sweaty._

_"Hm." She kept tapping away on that stupid phone. With a huff, I grabbed it from her and turned off the screen, putting it under my thigh._

_"Excuse you! I was busy." She glared at me, holding out her hand._

_"And _I _have something important to say!" I slammed my fork down onto the table, almost accidentally stabbing myself in the process. "You're always on that goddamn phone! Pay attention to your child for once!" Taking a deep breath, and forcing myself to calm down, I looked my mother straight in the eyes. "Mom, I'm gay."_

_She stared at me for a moment, before snorting and leaning back in her chair, crossing her arms over her chest._

_"If this is your way of getting my attention, try something else, sweetheart."_

_"I'm not looking for your attention. I'm gay, I prefer girls over guys. I'd rather be with a woman than a man."_

_"I'm calling your therapist." She tried reaching for her phone, but I glared at her._

_"I don't need a therapist to fix this! I don't need a therapist in general, you're just too lazy to try and help your own flesh and blood! You're too busy whoring around with other _married _rich men!" I knew what she did in her spare time, having gone through her phone more than once._

_A cold palm made friends with my cheek and I yelped, hand immediately flying to the stinging mark._

_"I will not have my child accusing such things about me! And I have had enough of you and your attitude, missy. Get out, and don't think about coming back!" She was standing up now, and I joined her, getting up in her face. _

_"So you're just going to kick your own child out like that? That easily? You're a terrible mother." I sneered and she tried hitting me again, but I grabbed her wrist and pushed her in the other direction. She stumbled and fell, and I took that opportunity to take off to my room to get my valuables. _

That was one heck of a day. I managed to find a shelter for LGBT kids, but left after a day. I didn't have any friends to go to, all of them leaving when I came out to them. I lived on the streets since, singing and playing guitar to get enough for a meal. At least now I had that flat stomach I've always wanted, though my ribs did poke out now. Thankfully, Dean Suoh was kind enough to give me an allowance for food.

I was exploring the school grounds a day before I started, and was walking through the gardens last. I spotted a fountain, and walked over. But, I was shocked to see someone's school bag, and everything that must have been in it, in the water. Hm, even rich schools have bullies.

I looked down at my outfit and was glad that I had decided to wear shorts today. Though, I did take off my boots and stockings before climbing in and starting to pick things up.

"Ah, I'm sorry! You don't have to do that!" I turned and saw one of the students rushing towards me. Just by looking at their face, I could tell it was a girl. Her eyes were too big and feminine to be a male's. Then again, I have seen my fair share of boys with feminine features. I smiled at her and shrugged, picking up a pencil and gently tossing it over to the small pile I'd set to the side of the fountain. _  
><em>

"Nah, it's cool. I want to help." I brushed some hair out of my eyes and kept searching. She rolled up her pants and got in with me, picking up the soggy papers while I kept looking for things more solid. Stopping to look at what else there was, she glanced at my face.

"You're not from around here, are you?"

"Nope, I was born and raised in the Eastern US. We just moved here about a year ago, though. My mother got a job offer here and immediately moved here." I shrugged, picking up a few pieces of paper and laying them out on the edge of the fountain.

"Hey, commoner! You've got some nerve skipping out on the club like that." I looked up to see a blonde with violet eyes standing there, staring at the girl. He looked down and noticed the soaked bag. "Hey, why is your bag all wet?" While they had a conversation, I kept searching until I found something. I pulled out a black wallet, and had to hold back looking to see how much money was in it. If there wasn't enough money earned from singing, while I'm not proud of it, I did take on the skill of pick-pocketing.

"Hey, doe eyes, I'm guessing you're gonna need this, yeah?" I called out, holding up her wallet. She blinked at the nickname, but walked over and grabbed the wallet anyway.

"Thanks."

"Oh, and who is this lovely lady, Haruhi?" The blonde came over and smiled at me, attempting to 'charm me with his good looks' probably. I decided to humor him and smiled back.

"My name is Mei, Mei Roquette." That was the last name I'd come up with, since I doubt my mother would appreciate me keeping the original. He grabbed my hand and kissed it.

"Tamaki Suoh, at your service." He gave me a dazzling grin, but I saw the confused glint in his eye when he noticed I didn't start blushing or swooning.

"Sorry, I only like people with vaginas." I pulled my hand from his and laughed at his shocked look. He started wilting and I just watched in amusement.

"I think you broke him." The girl walked over and sighed, looking at Tamaki. "Oh, I never introduced myself. I'm Haruhi Fujioka."

"Nice to meet you, Haruhi." I sat down on the edge of the fountain, grabbing my stockings and pulling them back on, shoving my feet into my boots after.

"Well, I'll see you two tomorrow!" I grabbed my small backpack and took off, leaving behind the confused duo.

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><p><strong><em>Meh. Meh. MEh MEh. MEH. MEH. MEH.<em>**

"OH MY GOD, DO YOU HAVE TO BE SO OBNOXIOUS?!" I screamed, grabbing the alarm clock and chucking it at the wall. I groaned and rolled out of the bed, flinching at the cold hardwood floor. Stumbling over to my closet, I looked at the clothes I had.

Hmm, what to wear. Do I want to be hippie, or punk, or pastel goth, or hipster?

Let's go with hippie.

I pulled out a long black skirt with roses on it, and a crop top that had the words _Moon Child _on it. I grabbed a grey knit cardigan to put over, since I doubt the school allowed crop tops. I paired that with a few bracelets I've collected over the years, some Doc Martens, and threw my hair up in a messing bun. Shoving my phone, my emergency pack of cigarettes, and my notebooks into my bag, along with everything else I needed. I picked up my guitar case and slung it over my shoulder, walking out of the apartment, and locking it behind me.

"Mei?" I looked behind me and saw Haruhi walking out of, what I'm guessing to be, her apartment.

"Oh, hey Haruhi. How are you this morning?" I questioned, putting my keys in my bag. She kept staring at me confused, but walked down the steps with me.

"G-Good. When did you move in there? I've never seen you around."

"Like, four days ago. Dean Suoh is renting it for me, as long as I keep up my grades."

"Oh, that's nice of him."

"Yup."

"So what year are you?" I glanced over, and noticed that I was a lot taller than the brunette.

"Second. Would be third, but I was held back a year back in America." I scratched the back of my head, shoving my other in the pocket of my cardigan.

"Oh, I'm a first year." I grinned and looked down at her, putting my elbow on the top of her head.

"Yeah, I can tell, shorty." She shoved my arm off lightly and glared, though I could tell it was all in good fun. "I'm so glad I grabbed my schedule beforehand, now I don't have to deal with having to find the office."

We got to the school and I said goodbye to the brunette, so that I could go find my homeroom. Ugh, I had math first period. When I got to the classroom, there were barely any students inside, so I took that time to scan the room. There weren't any posters with cool math-related phrases on them, like you'd expect from a math classroom back in America. In fact, it looked very..._boring_.

I could come back later in the day and add color, but I don't feel like getting expelled just yet.

I doodled in my notebook until the bell rang and the teacher walked in. First thing he did was call me up to introduce myself. _Oh joy_.

"Okay. My name is Mei Roquette, I'm 17 years old, I like girls, and no, this is not my natural hair color." Ignoring the hands that raised to ask questions, I walked back to my desk in the very back of the classroom. The teacher looked at me, shocked to say the least, but went along with the lesson.

It was like that with every other class, and I had that blond (Tamaki?) in three, and a black haired boy with glasses in two, one of which was shared with the blond idiot. I call him an idiot because, not only did he try touching my guitar case, but he demanded that I came to his club after school hours were done. I agreed, but only because I had nothing better to do.

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><p>"Music Room Three... Why would a Host Club be in a music room?" I mumbled to myself, a sinking feeling settling in my gut. I pushed open the door, and rose petals flew out and attacked me, along with a shit ton of perfume.<p>

"What the hell?!" I spit out a few petals, waiting for the bright light to settle so I could see who was in the room.

"Welcome, Princess." A chorus of voices was heard and I blinked.

"So, this is what Hell looks like."


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: If I owned OHSHC, there'd be a lot more lesbians in it.**

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><p>"Look!"<p>

"It's the new girl!" These redheaded twins walked up to me, and I almosted screamed.

"Holy shit! Gingers!" I grinned, ruffling one of the twin's hair. He glared at me, but I paid him no mind and walked further into the room.

"**Hey, she's got a guitar too!**" I felt the strap on my shoulder shift and spun around, clutching his wrist and glaring darkly.

"No touchy."

"Mei?"

I turned and saw Haruhi, who was holding a tray with some tea on it. "Haruhi! My homedog, how you doin'?" I smirked, going over and throwing my arm over her shoulder.

"Why are you here?"

"That blond idiot over there," I pointed over to Tamaki, who went to go sulk over in front of the window, "asked me to, and I had nothing better to do at home. Besides clean. And do laundry. But eh, that's for weekends." I shrugged, and Haruhi sweatdropped.

"So," One of the twins popped up next to me.

"Who are you?" The other appeared on my other side.

"Mei Jameson, 17 years old, Class 2B. Recently moved from America to Japan. Her mother owns an accounting business and-" I turned and saw the same guy from my class, the one with the glasses.

"I'm sorry, the hell are you?" I cut him off from spewing any other bullshit. He snapped shut his black book- holy shit he's going to kill us aLL SOS- and smiled at me, his eyes hidden behind the glare on his glasses.

"Kyoya Ootori. Now, I'd like to know why I can't find anything else about you under that name." Ah, the wonderful sound of annoyance that most people have when talking to me. It was in his. Let us have a celebration with champagne for pissing someone off without even meeting them!

God, I need help.

I shrugged, "My mom disowned me, like, two weeks ago so I changed my last name. Dean Suoh didn't seem to mind, once I explained everything to him." And filled out the shit ton of required forms, since there was virtually nothing about me available under that name. Tamaki rushed over and started hugging me, crying crocodile tears.

"Oh, you poor girl! That must have been terrible for you!" I shoved him off, growling under my breath. It was terrible, but I didn't need a pity party to start.

"Get off, pervert!" Aaaand there he goes, back in the corner. I just sighed, rubbing my temples. This is proving to be more troublesome than worth.

"Wow, your skirt is pretty!" I looked down and saw a small blonde holding the cutest stuffed rabbit. I smiled and crouched down to his height, ruffling his hair.

"Aw, thanks, kid."

"Actually, I'm eighteen! And my name's Honey!" Whaaa-? I frowned and looked him over, but didn't really doubt it. For all I knew, he could have some medical issues involving his growth. Eh.

"Alright, cool. Who's the stuffed rabbit you got there?" He may be eighteen, but he sure as hell acts like a kid.

"This is Usa-chan! He says hi and wants to know if you want a piece of cake!" This kid is too hyper. Someone needs to stop giving him sugar.

"Sure, I could go for some sweets. It's been a while since I've had cake." I grinned and he took my hand, dragging me over to a couch where a really tall and stoic guy was sitting. I took my guitar case and set it down next to the couch, sitting down next to the small senior.

"This is Takashi, but everyone calls him Mori." I nodded to the giant, and he nodded back. "Here," I looked down and saw the blond handing over a piece of red velvet cake on a plate to me. I smiled and took the cake, cutting a piece off with my fork and eating it.

"Oh my goooood. This is amazing." I moaned, taking another bite. Honey grinned and nodded, agreeing with me. I heard the doors open and turned around, watching a large group of girls flood into the room. They broke off and went to all the different boys(and Haruhi). A couple came over to sit with Honey, Mori, and myself, and gave me questioning looks.

"You're the new girl, right?"

"Is your hair fake?"

"Oh my god, you're so pretty!"

"Is that your guitar? Can you play a song?"

They fired off question after question, and I could feel the need to smoke a cigarette rising. _Oh, please shut up!_

"Uh- yes, no but it is dyed, thank you, yes, and sure!" I smiled at the girls, putting up a fake charade of confidence. Setting my finished plate of cake on the table, I pulled my guitar case onto my lap and opened it, pulling out my beautiful, black Martin acoustic guitar. I made sure it was tuned before starting with the first few cords of one of favorite songs.

"_Come on skinny love just last the year. Pour a little salt we were never here. My my my, my my my, my-my my-my... Staring at the sink of blood and crushed veneer. Tell my love to wreck it all, cut out all the ropes and let me fall. My my my, my my my, my-my my-my... Right in the moment this order's tall. And I told you to be patient, and I told you to be fine. And I told you to be balanced, and I told you to be kind. And in the morning I'll be with you, but it will be a different kind. 'Cause I'll be holding all the tickets, and you'll be owning all the fines._" By now, I had everyone in the room's attention. I tried not to choke while singing, focusing on the glare on my guitar from the window being open.

"Wow, she's really good!"

"I wish I could sing like that!" They whispered to each other, but listened to the song.

"_Who will love you? Who will fight? And who will fall far behind? Come on skinny love! My my my, my my my, my-my my-my... My my my, my my my, my-my my-my._" I finished, my voice going quieter towards the end. It was completely silent in the room for a few seconds, and I risked a glance up at everyone to see their reactions. Everyone looked shocked, to say the least. A few girls(and Tamaki) had tears in their eyes. One girl started clapping, and that was all it took before mostly everyone in the room was following. My face grew incredibly red and I ducked my head, hiding behind my hair.

"Sing another one!" One of the girls pleaded, giving me puppy dog eyes. Oh no, puppy dog eyes on a cute girl is my one and only weakness.

"Um, but isn't this club time?" I didn't feel like pissing off Kyoya by dropping his sales.

"No, go ahead." He didn't even bother looking up from his computer. I rolled my eyes at the douchebagness and messed with my guitar for a moment, debating on a song.

"This one is for all you ladies that may or may not feel like you aren't good enough. I hope you enjoy." I looked up at them through my bangs and smiled, sending a few in the back into squeals from my 'cuteness'. A few more groups came in through the door and headed over to the couch, so some must have texted their friends.

"_Made a wrong turn once or twice, dug my way out, blood and fire. Bad decisions, that's alright. Welcome to my silly life. Mistreated, misplaced, misunderstood, Miss 'No way, it's all good', it didn't slow me down. Mistaken, always second guessing, underestimated, look I'm still around. Pretty, pretty please, don't you ever, ever feel, like you're less than fucking perfect. Pretty, pretty please, if you ever, ever feel like you're nothing, you're fucking perfect to me._" I could feel myself getting lost in the music, closing my eyes and grinning along to the lyrics. "_You're so mean when you talk about yourself. You were wrong. Change the voices in your head, make them like you instead._"

There were quite a few girls in tears after I finished. I put my guitar away, and was just bombarded with girls asking questions, and complimenting my singing. It was a little much, but thankfully Kyoya ushered them out after a few minutes, claiming that club time was over.

"Wow, you're a really great singer, Mei!" Haruhi came over and smiled at me. I grinned and hugged her, ruining the serious atmosphere by going on about how cute her smile was.

"It seems the girls really took a liking to you." You know, I could already tell that I probably wasn't going to like Kyoya. He just seemed like he was an asshole. But hey, I've learned through experience to never judge a book by it's cover.

"Yeah, they did, didn't they?" I rubbed the back of my neck nervously, feeling like impending doom was upon me.

"You raised the sales quite a bit, as well." Ah, there it is. Not the impending doom, but the beginning of it. "How would you like to be the Host Club's new entertainment?"

And, there it was.

"I mean, I love singing, but I don't think I can do it every day. And I'm not doing it unless I get something in return." I put my hands on my hips, staring Kyoya down.

"You can rotate. Sing every other day, and host on the days you don't perform." Tamaki came up with, which was actually pretty good. Kyoya looked back over to me, having turned to look at Tamaki when he spoke up, and I frowned.

"I could...but, only as long as I get a third of whatever profits you make off of me." A glare flashed over his glasses, and I felt a shiver go down my spine, but he smirked.

"Alright, you've got a deal, Ms. Jameson." He held out his hand to shake on it. I grabbed it and shook firmly,

"It's _Roquette_." I let go of his hand and took a step back, turning to look at the other Hosts. "Alright, out of all of you, I still don't know who the gingers are."

"My name's Hikaru,"

"And my name's Kaoru,"

"**And we're the Hitachiin twins!**" They grinned, wrapping their arms around each other's shoulders.

Oh Buddha have mercy on my soul, _pls_.

"Oh! Are you related to that one fashion designer, um..." I couldn't remember the name now that I needed to.

"Yeah,"

"That's our mom!"

"That's awesome. I think my mo-, _ehem_, Joanne did business with her one time, a long while ago." She wasn't my mother anymore, not since she kicked me out, so I need to stop referring to her as such.

"Mei, you want to walk home with me?" Haruhi called over, and I waved off the twins to go grab my things.

"Sure, lemme just grab my shit." Tamaki looked appalled at my language, but I didn't really pay attention to him. Have you ever heard the saying, _those who cuss more are more likely to be honest with you_, or something? He needs to learn it.

I grabbed my guitar case and bag, waving goodbye to the Hosts as we walked out. When we were finally off school grounds, I had to hold back the urge to pull out a cigarette and light one. I could feel myself getting more edgy, and desperate for one, but I'm pretty sure Haruhi is one of those who hate smokers.

"So, just how crazy is the Host Club? I feel like I just signed a death sentence." I asked her, looking over at the short brunette.

"They're a bunch of crazy, rich bastards. I've only been with them for a day and a half, and I hate it." She moped and I felt even more terrible about the whole thing.

Well, shit.

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><p><strong>I was trying to make the chapter longer but my brain just went sidfunfvifdn. I hope I can make them longer as we go on. I love stories with long ass chapters. The first song Mei sings is Skinny Love by Birdy, and the second is Fuckin' Perfect by P!nk, aka Bae3. Anyways, feedback is appreciated and loved y'all! I really didn't expect the first chapter to get any reviews that quickly, holy balls. <strong>


	3. Chapter 3

**Thanks for you reviews guys. It's means lots c: Y'all be too sweet.**

**Disclaimer; If I owned OHSHC, there'd be a lot more musical numbers. Gotta love musicals. My favorite is RENT. Tell me yours.**

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><p><em>C'mon, go faster! <em>

_I was running. To where, or from what, I didn't know. I pumped my legs to go faster, but it felt like I was going slower than a sloth. I looked down and saw mud rising up to my knees, but I didn't get a sinking feeling like you would in quicksand. I tried pulling my legs out, they were stuck. I looked around for anything to pull myself out with, and found a thick vine. I tried reaching for it, but it was not even an inch away from my grasp. I near screamed in frustration, and my heart was pounding loudly in my ears. I tried reaching again, but froze at the sound of a deep growl._

_ Looking behind me, I saw-_

I glared at my new alarm clock, confused and irritated. What was that dream all about? Probably caused by all the sugar I had last night. I was up super late, having gotten sudden inspiration for a song while having dinner. I had the cords and everything figured out, but the lyrics was what I couldn't figure out.

I rolled out of bed and grabbed a long skirt with a geometric pattern on it and a plain black crop top, throwing my hair up in a bun. "I'm going to be late, nooooo." I hurriedly put on my shoes and grabbed my bag, slinging my guitar case over my shoulder. I left and locked the door behind me.

"Bye house!" I took off down the stairs and towards the school, wishing I had some other mode of transportation besides walking/running. Maybe I should save up and buy an electric scooter...

When I got to the school grounds, class had already started ten minutes ago. I cursed under my breath and sprinted to my class, almost feeling a sense of de ja vu from my dream earlier.

"I'm sorry I'm late, I-I-" I tried to explain, having burst into the room.

"I don't care for excuses, Ms. Roquette. Get in your seat and I'll deal with you after class." Mr. Albarn glared and me and I pouted, going to my seat in the back. Rude ass.

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><p>I got to spend my period after lunch cleaning the cafeteria, which was just <em>oh so fun<em>. Honestly though, there wasn't much to clean. This school _was _full of mostly rich bitches that were most like taught table manners. Jeeze. I did get to listen to my music while cleaning, though, and figured out what songs I was going to play today.

My other classes flew by quickly, and only got homework from my Music class, which was, ironically, write a song and perform it. Wow. That's perfect timing, honestly. And finally, it was time to get to the Host Club before it started. The highlight of my day, _honestly_.

I really hope you can just feel the sarcasm in that sentence.

But hey, bitches need money.

As soon as I opened the door, a blast of hot air hit my face. I blinked, looking at all the... exoticness in the room.

Was that even a word? Exoticness? Probably not.

"What the hell?" I managed to get out before the twins were in front of me, shoving something into my hands and pushing me towards the changing rooms.

"**Just go change and we'll explain when you get out!**" They demanded and I shrugged, taking the bundle of clothes and going into one of the rooms, closing the curtains behind me.

It was a bralet with little golden disk-like...things attached, while the skirts, well... It looked like something you'd find on a belly dancer. In fact, the entire outfit looked like something one would wear. Whatever, it's hot as balls and probably more comfortable than my outfit. I put it on, but the bralet's zipper got stuck on my hair...

Shit.

I shuffled towards the door and hid behind it, poking my head out.

"Hey, is Haruhi here yet?"' I looked at the Hosts, shoving back the blush that was threatening to pop up. Nudity didn't normally bother me, but with a bunch of hormonal teenage boys... yeah, how about no.

"No, she's not here yet." One of the twins said, looking at me.

"Why?" The other questioned, and I saw the corner of his lips twitch.

"Balls... Uh, Kaoru, c'mere." Out of all the Hosts, he was probably my second favorite, Haruhi being the first, and I definitely trusted him more than Hikaru. He looked confused, but came over anyway. Making sure it was him, I pulled him inside and closed the door. "My hair is stuck in the zipper, can you get it please?"

"Sure." He nodded and I turned around, and felt him (holy shit cold!) fingers brush against my back. He tugged on the zipper, while I was trying to pull my hair out without ripping it all from my scalp.

"Ow! Shit, be careful." I whined, flinching at the pain in my scalp. We struggled with it for a few more minutes before I finally managed to free my hair, and he zipped it up all the way for me. "Thanks, Kaoru." I smiled and he returned it.

"No problem, Mei." He left, a small blush on his cheeks. Oh, gotta love how easy it is to get teenage boys flustered.

I fixed my hair, putting it up in a fancy bun, and looked at myself in the mirror. I traced one of the scars on my rib cage, earned from a stupid car accident, and shrugged. "Well, this is about as good as it's gonna get." I grabbed my guitar and walked out, going over to the couch that was set up for me and my guests. The other Hosts got in their positions at the front, while I stayed in my spot to tune my guitar.

"Oh, it's just Haruhi."I snorted at the twin' rudeness and played the beginning of a random song, making sure it sounded right. Today feels like an Ed Sheeran day. I pulled my phone out and checked the small list I'd made. _I See Fire_, _Give Me Love_, and _You Need Me, I Don't Need You _were written down. I spent the few minutes before the club opened to freshen up on the lyrics, not having actually sang the songs for a little while.

"Hosts, get in position!" Tamaki ordered lightly and everyone stood around or behind the throne that the blonde had set up. I mentally shrugged and walked over to join them, standing between Mori and Kyoya since I was the same height as the former. I looked down at my watch and counted down the seconds before the twins went over and opened the doors.

"Welcome, ladies."

"Oh, hey Haruhi!" I smiled at my fellow female Host, and she looked around the room confused. A toucan flew over and landed on her head, making me try not to laugh. Tamaki started spewing off bullshit about the place being Nirvana when the brunette asked what was going on, which gave me an idea. Okay, maybe today _won't _be an Ed Sheeran. What a shame, I've missed playing his music. I looked through my Spotify playlists before deciding on a new group of songs to play.

It was another few minutes before the girls showed up, and I led my small group over to my spot in the room. "Afternoon, ladies. How are you this _amazing _day?" Not gonna lie, the warm weather made me cheery. I loved Summer out of all the seasons, so the tropical theme put me in a good mood.

"We're good!" My group of girls varied very much. One was quiet and shy, that blushed at just about everything I said. One was more out there, and had even made some small adjustments to her uniform to make it more personalized. Another had piercings going all up her ears, but that was it. And my last one was more of a geek, if the _Star Trek _rubber bracelet just barely poking out of the sleeve of her uniform was anything to go by. The good thing though, was that they didn't get jealous of each other and got along great.

"Right, so I think you may like this song." I was just about to start strumming when I overheard Tamaki tell his clients about a party. I smiled at mine and turned around, putting my arm over the back of the couch.

"We're having a party? Since when?" One of the snakes on the fake(or it could have been real, you never know) sniffed at my hand, but I didn't flinch or freak out like any other normal girl would. I loved snakes, actually. I rubbed my finger on its head gently before turning my attention back to Tamaki.

"What kind of party is it going to be?" One of the twins' clients asked.

"Is it going to be formal?" The other girl asked, getting excited.

"Yes, in fact we've rented the schools largest hall." The one, Hikaru I'm pretty sure, informed.

"It's a perfect place for dancing." Kaoru added, resting his chin of the top of his hand. Hikaru grabbed his brother and pulled him closer, getting close to his face.

"But I really wanted to spend some time with you, Kaoru." He said lowly, and I barely restrained myself from shouting 'GAAAAY!' from my couch. Oh, I'm too funny.

"Don't be upset, Hikaru. I know exactly how you feel."

Oh, Jesus Christ. This is worse than some cheesy soap opera.

"I'll be right back, ladies." I gave my group a smile before going over to where Tamaki was.

"Hey, Boss, I have an idea for the party..." He perked up, grinning at me.

"And what would that be, my lovely daughter?" I blinked at the nickname, but I've honestly been called far more worse and odd nicknames than that, so I ignored it.

"Instead of just a formal party, why not make it a masquerade ball? There wouldn't be that much of a difference, not to mention the club might make even more funds off of it, if you sold pictures of the Hosts in a mask." I directed that last part to Kyoya, who was no doubt listening in. Tamaki thought about it for a moment before smiling at me.

"That's a brilliant idea!" I just smiled and nodded, going back over to my clients. I picked up my guitar and gave them a smirk.

"Alright, girls, this one is called _Your Bones _by one of my favorite bands, Of Monsters and Men."

* * *

><p>After Host hours ended, we cleaned up the tropical paradise theme, though I did get attached to the snake I'd petted earlier.<p>

"Kyoya, how much would it cost to buy this little guy?" There was the big snake that they'd had imported, and a regular ball python imported.

He looked at his papers before answering me. "Around 11,000 yen." So a hundred bucks in US dollars? Seems about right. I've been ball pythons go for more than that back in America. Well, I definitely don't have that money.

"Take my share of the funds you get off of me and buy it, if you will please?" I pleaded and he nodded, pulling out his phone and making the call to the people we'd rented the animals from.

Tamaki walked out of the kitchen clutching a cup of ramen and went over to one of the tables by the window, sulking while eating it.

Wait, we have ramen? Holy shit I want some! I took off to the kitchens while the twins demanded that Tamaki stop moping and come help with party planning. I didn't need to get involved with that, but I did have to come up with a playlist and perform at the party. I could already tell most of it was going to be songs by Florence and The Machine, Lorde, Lana Del Ray, and probably some songs off of the new Great Gatsby movie soundtrack. Ah, gotta love 20s music.

When my ramen was done, I walked out, half listening to the twins explaining to Haruhi what the 'Host Hopping' disease. I snorted, almost choking on my ramen in the process, and walked over to the table everyone was gathered at.

"Oh, so he's upset because I took her from him?" Haruhi deadpanned. Tamaki ran over and went off on her,

"Shut up! I couldn't care less!" His yelling scared poor little Honey. "I'm running out of patience," he jumped back and pointed at her, "Haruhi, it's time you started dressing like a girl!" He demanded.

"Hey now, don't be forcing her into shit she may not want to do." I spoke up through a mouthful of noodles. "If she wants to continue dressing like a guy, or however she wants to dress, that ain't none of your damn business."

Alas, I was ignored.

...

Did I really just say alas? Dafuq?

I sighed, feeling dejected, and leaned my head on Haruhi's shoulder. She glanced down at me, but made no move to move my head so I stayed there.

"I don't see how you're so popular with the ladies, when you yourself are a lady!" He groaned, getting angrier. I coughed, as if to say _Hey, I'm popular with the ladies and a lady(mostly) myself bro! _Honestly, you'd think this guy had never heard of homosexuality.

He kept going on before pulling out a large chest and flinging it open. He dug around for a bit before pulling out a very large framed picture of Haruhi with long hair. Though, I wasn't concerned about that, I was more interested on how he managed to make it fit.

"Holy dicks is there an Undetectable Extension Charm on that?!" I gasped, running over and looking inside. "Dude, you're a fuckin' wizard!" Again, I was ignored. Though, the twins did snicker at my geekiness. I ignored everyone else, even Tamaki when he burst into tears when Haruhi referred to herself as a dude, and hugged the chest.

"Sorry, but I'm taking this."

"No you're not." Kyoya didn't even look over while speaking, and I pouted.

"Hate to change the subject, but either of you have any formal dance experience? You'll need it at the party." Hikaru asked Haruhi and I. The brunette froze,

"Uh- no, but the party doesn't have anything to do with my quota, right? I'm not interested in events, so if I can be excused?" Her voice even cracked.

"I do, but I'm going to be singing so what's it matter? It's not like I'm going to be dancing." I shrugged, looking down and picking at my nails. I'm going to have to repaint them soon.

"Definitely not. A true gentleman needs to know how to dance." Tamaki directed at Haruhi, a hand on his chin while he smirked. "And you will be performing, Mei, but you'll also be dancing when you're taking breaks from singing." Well, balls.

* * *

><p>The next day we had dance lessons instead of hosting. The girl that had the 'Host Hopping' disease was teaching Haruhi (leaving Tamaki to angst over in the corner) while I brushed up on my skills with Kyoya. Honestly, I'd rather do it with Kaoru, or even Honey or Mori, but they were busy doing other things.<p>

"Honestly, the last time I did any formal dances was maybe five years ago at my cousin's wedding. Everyone there was family, and at the time, I was thirteen so I thought dancing with any of my guy cousins was gross, so I danced with my dad instead." I smiled sadly at the memory, dancing with Kyoya at the same time. "I'm actually pretty sure that was the last time I danced with my dad. He passed away from lung cancer a few months after that." The Shadow King said nothing, "He wanted to dance with me again before he died, claiming that it was for when he couldn't dance with me at my wedding, b-but he was too sick to even get out of bed. That's what chemo does to 'ya, I guess." I didn't cry, but I could feel my throat closing up at the thought.

"I'm sorry for your loss." Was all he said and I didn't even get angry. I'd gotten tired of the pity a long while ago, so it was nice to hear a monotone "I'm sorry" and that be that.

I glanced over at Haruhi's scream and snicked. She'd managed to trip and fall on top of that girl, and it looked like something straight out of a romance manga. The dark mood around Tamaki got even worse, and I snickered even more.

"He sure has fallen for her, huh?" I looked at Kyoya, because I _knew _that he knew Tamaki had a major crush on the brunette host.

"Yes, he has. It'll make things quite interesting as time goes on." He smirked, looking over at the 'King'. "Have you managed to come up with the music for the party, yet? We do have to turn it in to the band, so they know what to play." I nodded and we ended our dance so I could go grab the scrap piece of paper out of my bag.

"It's all American songs, since I haven't really messed with Japanese music yet." It was one thing to speak in another language, but a whole different other thing to sing in it.

"That's fine, they won't be the ones singing." I nodded and looked around.

"Am I needed here anymore? I have homework to do, not to mention I have to practice the songs for next week. _And _I still need to find my dress and mask for the dance."

"No, you can leave." I thanked him and grabbed my things, saying goodbye to everyone as I left.

* * *

><p>A week later, and I was standing on the stage in the hall we'd rented, making sure everything was in order. My dress was a simple black black with a white flower on my hip. I had on a pair of white platform heels, and a silver necklace that had 'love' on it hooked around my ankle. I put my hair up in a nice, braided updo and even slipped some small flowers in to make it look pretty.<p>

I stood back as Tamaki got in the center of the steps. Kyoya, Honey, and Mori were on the left, while the twins and Haruhi were on the right. My spot was in the middle, where the microphone was, but I stood back on Tamaki's right so he could speak.

"It is so good to see you, my little lambs." He greeted, smiling at the crowd. "The Host Club would like to bid you, _Welcome_!" He bowed, throwing his arm in front of him. I curtsied, smiling at all the cute girls. The lights came on and I was finally able to see the room in full detail.

Holy shit that's a lot bigger than thought.

"As always," Kyoya spoke up, "ladies, the Host Club is here for your entertainment. So we invite you to dance to your hearts content. Based on your dancing skills, one lucky lady will be chosen as tonight's Queen. The reward will be a passionate kiss on the cheek from our King." Tamaki smiled, winking at the girls.

"Good luck to you, _my darlings_." That's so gay. I swear, there was even sparkles behind him. Way to pull an Armstrong, Tamaki. They went off to go dance, after ordering Haruhi some fancy tuna, and I nodded to the orchestra to start playing. The first song that we were playing was _Seven Devils _by Florence and the Machine. Gosh, I love her voice.

"_Holy water cannot help you now. Thousand armies couldn't keep me out. I don't want your money, I don't want your crown- See I've come to burn your kingdom down._" I started off, my voice poweful through the mic as everyone starting dancing. "_Holy water cannot help you now, see I've come to burn your kingdom down. And no rivers and no lakes can put the fire out. I'm gonna raise the stakes, I'm gonna smoke you out._"

I started swaying with the music, the orchestra sounding amazing behind me.

"_Seven devils all around me! Seven devils in my house! See they were there when I woke up this morning, I'll be dead before the day is done. Seven devils all around you! Seven devils in your house! See I was dead when I woke up this morning, I'll be dead before the day is done. Before the day is done._"

Everyone finished dancing and I went on to the next song, _Young and Beautiful _by Lana Del Ray. It was the DH Orchestra version, so it was a lot better than the original in my opinion.

"_I've seen the world, done it all, had my cake now. Diamonds, brilliant, and Bel Air now. Hot summer nights, mid July, when you and I were forever wild. The crazy days, city lights. The way you'd play with me like a child._" The violins picked up behind me. "_Will you still love me, when I'm no longer young and beautiful? Will you still love me, when I got nothing but my aching soul? I know you will, I know you will, I know that you will. Will you still love me when I'm no longer beautiful?_" The violins got quieter and the piano picked up.

"_I've seen the world, lit it up, as my stage now. Channeling angels in the new age now. Hot summer days, rock 'n' roll, the way you play for me at your show. And all the ways I got to know, your pretty face and electric soul. Will you still love me, when I'm no longer young and beautiful? Will you still love me, when I got nothing but my aching soul? I know you will, I know you will, I know that you will. Will you still love me when I'm no longer beautiful?_"

After that, I got to take a small break and drink some water while the orchestra played one of Beethoven's pieces. After that, I went back upstairs while the piece the orchestra was playing faded off. This next song was playing from the speakers, so they got to take a break from playing for a few minutes. "And now, the Broken Tango!" I smiled and those who new it stepped up. Thankfully, there was an equal amount of guys here as there was girls. On one side was the girls, the other was the guys. I walked back down the stairs and got in front of the only male left, who I recognized at Kaoru. Hm, he knew this dance. Kyoya and Mori were also in the guy's line.

The music started up and we started walking towards each other, and Kaoru grabbed my hand while we both bowed. I put my left hand on his left shoulder, while his left went on my waist, the right grabbing mine.

"_I bust the windows out your car,_" We started dancing, with him leading me back. I had my head turned to the left, while his was turned to the right. "_After I saw you laying next to her. I didn't wanna but I took my turn._" He let go of my waist and twirled me. "_I'm glad I did it 'cuz you had to learn._" I kicked my leg out, and he pulled me to the left, but I still didn't look at him. I spun away from him once, almost tripping over my heel but someone caught me. I glanced up and saw Mori looking at me.

"_I must admit it helped a little bit,_" he grabbed my right hand and we turned our heads in the same direction, dancing once more. Right as the lyrics started again, we looked at each other before looking away."_To think of how you'd feel when you saw it._" He spun me around twice, and I dipped back, Mori holding me up with his hand under my head. "_I didn't know that I had that much strength._" I pulled myself up and he stepped up behind me, grabbing my right hand with his right. His left covered mine, putting it on my left hip. "_But I'm glad you'll see what happens when,_" He pulled our left hands over me and in front of us before putting it back on my hip, "_You see you can't just play with people's feelings,_" We took a step and I took a second away from him, but he grabbed my left hand and pulled me back towards him, and I spun inwards, him catching me while I got to his chest, and he dipped me back. "_Tell them you love them and don't mean it,_" He pulled me up and I smiled, barely holding back a laugh. He gave me a smirk back. "_You'll probably say that it was juvenile,_" I put a hand on his chest and started pushin him back, not breaking eye contact. "_But I think that I deserve to smile,_" He grabbed me and we did a somewhat complicated move, that ended with my left leg up in the air.

"_I bust the windows out your car,_" Mori put me down and I put my hand back on his shoulder as we started dancing again. "_You know I did it cause I left my mark,_" he dipped me back quickly, pulling me back up to his chest. "_Wrote my initials with a crow bar,_" he picked me up and I wrapped my right leg around the back of his, bending my left up as he held me up entirely. He put me back down and I kicked my right leg high up as he turned us, dropping down with my left bent as he crouched in front of me, holding onto both hands. "_And then I drove off into the dark,_"we slowly stood back up, Mori pulling me against his chest before I finished standing up all the way. I wrapped my right arm around his neck as he walked us around in a small circle. "_I bust the windows out your car,_" I spun and stood next to him on his right while we took a few steps back. "_I bust the windows out your car,_" I stepped away from him before spinning around, and he caught me while I dipped back, my left leg slipping between his while he held up my right under the knee with his left hand. My right hand just barely brushed against the floor before he pulled me back up slowly, and the song ended.

We took a step back from each other and he bowed, while I curtsied. "It was _lovely _dancing with you, Mori." I smirked and he returned it, almost looking as if he was going to laugh.

"Same to you, Mei." Jesus Christ, I always forget how deep his voice is until he speaks.

He left to go kidnap Haruhi so they could go ahead with their plan that they made for that one girl, but I had to go back up and sing. I took a sip of water before climbing back up the steps. The next song was from the Great Gatsby soundtrack, and probably my favorite off of it.

"_I look and stare so deep in your eyes, I touch on you more and more every time. When you leave I'm beggin' you not to go. Call your name two, three times in a row, such a funny thing for me to try to explain how I'm feeling and my pride is the one to blame, 'cause I know I don't understand, just how your love can do what no on else can. Got me lookin' so crazy right now, your love's got me lookin' so crazy right now. Got me lookin' so crazy right now your touch's got me lookin' so crazy right now. Got me hoping you page me right now your kiss's, got me hoping you save me right now. Lookin' so crazy, your love's got me lookin', got me lookin' so crazy your love._" I danced in my spot, and the girls were dancing around while chatting.

The next song was also from the album, playing from the speakers instead of the orchestra since it was a little more high-tech than their instruments. _A Little Party Never Killed Nobody (All We Got) _with Fergie, Q-Tip, and GoonRock. I went back down the stairs and danced with the girls, who were amazed at my dancing. Honestly, you'd think they'd know how to dance better than they do, but it seems that all they know how to is mingle and formal dancing.

A few dancers from the dance class though, knew what I was doing and joined in.

There was a few more minutes of dancing, before everyone was called to go to the balconies outside the windows. I went over and stood with the Host Club, standing next to Haruhi.

A bunch of lights shined down on that girl, and what I'm guessing to be, her boyfriend. "Ladies and gentlemen," Tamaki started, "it is now time to begin the last dance of this evening's festivities. The last waltz of the night has been chosen by the Host Club for this couple." He gestured towards the two standing on the ground, who looked shocked.

It took a moment before the boy to gather his bearing before bowing, holding his hand out for the girl. "Princess Kanako, may I have this dance?" There was a light blush on his cheeks. She stared at him, blushing as well, before smiling and taking his hand. The orchestra started playing for the final time tonight, and they began dancing.

"Aw, young love." I aw'ed, putting a hand on my cheek.

"I didn't think you were into that kind of stuff." Haruhi looked over at me.

"I'm not, but you gotta admit, that's pretty sweet." She looked at me for a moment before smiling, turning back towards the duo.

"Yeah, you're right." I stared at her, feeling something flutter in my gut. No. Could it be?

Was I beginning to fall for Haruhi?

"May this awkward couple be forever blessed!" Tamaki smiled, throwing his arms out and almost whacking Haruhi in the face, had it not been that she ducked.

"And now we'll announce the Queen of the ball!" Hikaru came in, pulling a microphone out of nowhere.

"Congratulations Princess Kanako Kasugazaki!" Kaoru grinned, also having a microphone. I don't like the grins they have... Everyone started clapping, and she looked surprised. "And for her reward, a kiss on the cheek from the King!" Tamaki smirked, a hand on his chin.

"You ready?"

"Haruhi Fujioka will stand in for Tamaki!" And there's why. The two's reaction though was enough to send me into giggles, though I did feel some jealousy stir up in me. I shoved it away. Tamaki was head over heels in love with Haruhi, and I wasn't about to ruin that.

Haruhi started walking down the steps with Kanako walking towards her.

"Hey! You don't think this is Haru-chan's first kiss, do you?" Honey came in, looking adorable as ever. I started giggling again, ruffling his hair.

"Oh, Honey, you just made it _so _much worse for Tamaki." I said, still giggling. I turned back to watch and saw Haruhi with her hands cupping the girl's cheeks, leaning in to kiss her cheek. Both of them had blushes on their faces. My giggling stopped and I frowned, looking to the side and grumbling.

"Wait, Haruhi!" Tamaki shouted, running down the steps. But at last-minute, he slipped on a banana peel and ended up shoving Haruhi, making her kiss the Princess on the mouth. They stayed like that for a moment, too shocked to move, before jerking away, a hand covering their mouths.

"Are you _fucking_ kidding me?" I hissed before turning around on my heel, stalking past the Hosts, who glanced at me in confusion. I gently shoved past the group of girls crowding around the window, going to grab my things from where they set up the plan they had.

I need a drink.

A big one.

* * *

><p><strong>Holy tits. Almost 5,600 words. Wow. Hopefully I can keep this length for the rest of the chapter.<strong>

**OMG. Is Mei starting to fall for Haruhi? Is she going to do anything about it or let things play out? Do you ship it? Or should I bring in an OC. Tell meeee. Reviews and feedback are appreciate and very loved, guys.**

**The song played during the Broken Tango is Bust Your Windows by Jazmine Sullivan. It's the Broken Tango from Step Up 3, so you can just go watch it on YouTube if I didn't explain it good enough.**

**Ngl, I changed to party to a masquerade _just _so I could have Florence + the Machine and the Broken Tango in the chapter. **

**The song from the Great Gatsby soundtrack is the Kid Koala version of Crazy In Love by Emeli Sande.**

**Keep on being awesome, yo!**


	4. Chapter 4

**No, not every lesbian says that. But guess what, nonnie? We don't act as a whole group, we do our own thing. And, even though it isn't any of your business, I am in fact a lesbian, and all my friends are either bi, pan, or gay :P**

**Disclaimer; I only own Mei. I'm her pimp.**

* * *

><p>I couldn't find myself a bar that I could sneak into, sadly. And I hadn't remembered to grab my alcohol from where I hid in before I was kicked out of my house.<p>

Such a shame.

I couldn't sleep the entire weekend either, which sucked. Every time I tried closing my eyes, it was like something was going to crawl out of the corner and grab me to take me to Hell. Do you ever just get that feeling of impending doom settle deep in your stomach? Like something horrible is going to happen soon. And no matter how many Tums, Anti-Acids, and Tylenol you take, it just won't go away.

Yeah.

I had that feeling.

And it wasn't very pleasant.

We had Physical Exams today. I don't know what to expect honestly, since this is a super rich school, but hopefully it's somewhat similar to what I'm used to. The Host Club was freaking out about what to do with Haruhi and how to keep her gender a secret. I honestly didn't see the problem, and neither did the girl in question. I wasn't going to bother, though. I was just the entertainer (that just sounds like a fancy word for stripper), I didn't mean anything to them.

Speaking of Haruhi... She tried stopping by to see if I was okay after the masquerade. I couldn't open the door. I was just too embarrassed and frustrated myself. Though, I probably pissed her off when I turned up my music to drown her out. Along with every other person in the complex.

And now we are here. On Monday. About to start the exams.

Shit.

I've managed to avoid everyone in the Host Club up until now. They were going through with their little master plan, and would no doubt want me to help.

"_He woke up from dreaming and put on his shoes, started making his way past 2 in the morning. He hasn't been sober for days._" I sung under my breathe while walking to the room where Haruhi and I would be getting our exam in private and smiled at the nurse there. We were going to have it done at the same time, but I decided to come earlier so I wouldn't get caught up with the club.

"Hello Miss Roquette, I have been made aware of your situation. Please disrobe for me over there."

My situation, unlike Haruhi's, wasn't because I was secretly hiding my gender.

No, I did not have a secret dick in my pants.

I just had a lot of scars from being stupid as a teen and child. Like this one scar, it goes up from my right hip to my collar bone, I got that from a bike accident. I had ran off of the road and flipped over a barbed wire fence, getting caught on it. Another was on my elbow and went two or three inches up, from falling out of a tree. I had a lot on my legs too, from falling off of my bike a lot. There used to be some on my hands from getting into fights with the boys at school, but they've long since faded.

I wasn't getting my exam done because I was ashamed of my scars, hell no. I just didn't want all the looks I'd get from having them shown. I slipped off my shirt and shimmied out of my pants, leaving me in just a bra and my boxers.

The nurse took my weight, height, temperature, and blood pressure. She made sure there wasn't any lumps or other signs of issues in my breasts before telling me I could go put back on my clothes before getting my shots done.

While slipping back into my skinny jeans, Haruhi walked in and just about gave me a heart attack.

"Shit, knock first before scaring a girl." I gasped, putting a hand on my chest. Her face grew red,

"S-Sorry. I'll wait-" I rolled my eyes and pulled her back inside.

"Haruhi, we're both girls. It's not like we haven't seen this shit before. Besides, a bra isn't that far from what I normally wear." I shrugged, searching for my shirt. I could have sworn it was just on the bench... While Haruhi undid her tie, she glanced at me with a frown.

"Mei, are you mad at me?" Oh shit, there's the question I didn't want asked. I sighed, running a hand through my hair.

"No, I'm n-not mad at you. I just...needed some time to think." My cheeks grew warm and I avoided looking at her.

"Why?" Oh, she looked like a curious puppy. Her head was tilted to the side, and her eyes- god her eyes were gorgeous. My cheeks got hotter and I stumbled over my next few words.

"I didn't really u-uh... like it, when you kissed that princess chick." I mumbled, crossing my arms over my chest.

"Why? Did you like her?" She unbuttoned her shirt, leaving her in the uniform pants and a pink tank top.

"No. IlikeyoubutI'mtooafraidtosayit." I said quickly, low enough so that she couldn't hear. She frowned,

"Wha-" The curtains opened and we turned. A man wearing a doctor's coat was looking out, closing them quietly.

"U-Um, I'm sorry?" I said, the same time Haruhi said, "Excuse me?"

He jumped, turning around to face us. He put a hand on both our mouths, looking panicked.

"No, please! It's not what you think!" Who the hell was this guy?! "Please just keep quiet!"

"Haruhi! Mei!" I heard someone, Tamaki I think, shout. I took the man's shock to grab his wrist and flip him, sending him crashing into the wall. Tamaki burst through the curtains, looking all majestic and shit, kicking the man into the face and further into the wall.

"One," the twins walked in behind us, "good looks that attract the public eye."

"Two," Kyoya walked in, looking intimidating in the shadows, "more wealth than you can imagine."

"Three," Mori came in, looking at the creepy man blankly, "chivalry that cannot overlook-" Honey came up in front of him, glaring,

"The hideous wickedness of the world."

Tamaki slipped off his shirt and put it over Haruhi. "That's what makes up the Ouran Host Club!" He announced.

"We're here, so watch out!" They all said in unison, like they had rehearsed this. The man yelped, looking like he was about to ruin his pants.

"Please don't hurt me, spare me my life!" He yelled, bowing down. Haruhi glanced around at the boys before looking at me. I shrugged, shoving my hands in my pockets. It didn't bother me that I was here in my bra with a bunch of boys and a grown man- god that sounds so wrong, but nudity didn't honestly bother me. Okay, maybe the random guy _did _make me nervous, but I wasn't about to say that out loud.

Something heavy fell on my shoulders and I looked behind me to see Mori without his jacket. I smiled gratefully and he nodded back. I wrapped it around me, shoving my arms through the sleeves and holding it closed. Hm, it smelled good.

"I'm a doctor." The man spoke up. Oh, we're sharing life stories now? "I run a small medical clinic in the next town over. My name is Yabu." Duck?

"Did he say his name's Yabu?" Hikaru muttered.

"That's crazy!" Kaoru commented, "What a terrible name for a doctor!" Hey, it could work if he was a pediatrician.

"I know!" The man, Yabu, groaned. "The reason I'm here is because I wanted to see my daughter. My wife left me last month and took my daughter with her." I mentally groaned, this was so cheesy and cliche'. "But I know that she attends school here."

"I don't mean to pry or anything, but why did your wife and daughter leave you?" Haruhi asked, looking down at Yabu. I sighed, tuning him out and picking at my nails. I'd need to redo them soon, the paint was chipping already from when I painted them for the dance.

Everyone looked bored, even the nurse, but the doctor and Tamaki were in tears.

" , I think you might be looking for Ouran _Public _High School." Kyoya spoke up and the doctor nodded. "I figured as much. This is Ouran Academy, private institution. You're daughter doesn't attend here."

"Man, that's pretty sad," Hikaru had to open his big mouth, "you don't even know which school your daughter goes to?"

"I bet your relationship with her is bad because you don't pay attention to her." Kaoru added, and the doctor paled. Even I had to admit, it was pretty messed up if you mixed up the difference between a private school and a public school.

"Wow, Kyo-chan! I'm impressed that you figured out he had the wrong school!" Honey beamed and I couldn't help but smile and ruffle his hair at the cuteness.

"Well, there's no way the daughter of such a small time doctor could afford attending a place like this." Hey, you're forgetting that there is such this as a scholarship. I was homeless before managing to get in on mine.

Everyone looked at me and I frowned. "I said that out loud, didn't I?" They nodded and I blushed, frowning and looking away.

"Kyoya, provide this man of a map to the public school in the next town over." Tamaki spoke up, barely above a whisper. "I'd like to help this man find his daughter." Kyoya (and Haruhi) looked surprised for a moment before smiling.

"Whatever you say." He walked away, to go find a map I presume. I smiled at Tamaki's back, not even all that surprised he would do a nice thing like that.

I waved to the doctor as he smiled up at our group in the window, nodding once. He turned and walked away, and I hoped that when he did find his daughter, all would go well.

"Are you sure about this?"

"Even if he does find his daughter, there's no guarantee she'll want to speak to him."

"Well then," Tamaki didn't even glance at the twins, "that's something he'll have to find out for himself." Haruhi let out a small gasp and I glanced at her out of the corner of my eye.

"I'm sorry you guys, but can you guys please leave?" She asked, and everyone took a step back in shock.

"Haruhi, are you still angry with me?" Oh boy, what'd the blond idiot do now? "You're not thinking of quitting the Host Club, are you?!"

She laughed, turning to look up at him. "Don't be stupid, senpai. I still have to finish my physical exam. As a male student, of course." I felt all the blood drain from my face and just barely held back from bolting out of the door. Oh no, I still needed to get my shots done. I hated needles more than I did bugs, and that's saying something.

"But don't think I'm doing this because you're paying me with food! I'm doing it to pay back my debt!" She smiled, and Tamaki grew red in the face.

"You're so cute, Haruhi!" He squealed and hugged her. I frowned at the display, and hoped he didn't like her. "I can see right through you! I know you're just doing it for the fancy tuna!" Haruhi screamed, equally as red in the face, and I turned around to go find my shirt.

"Hey Mei, how did you get all those scars on your tummy?" Honey spoke up, looking at me. Everyone paused and glanced at us. I shrugged off the jacket and handed it back to Mori.

"I got them all because I was a pretty stupid kid." I laughed, and pointed to one that was just under my ribs, looking more jagged than the rest. The Hosts flinched, but I didn't pay them no mind. "My friend, Jessie, and I were riding on my dad's old ATV when we crashed into a tree. I got this, while she has one hidden under her bangs on her forehead." I pointed to another that was just above my hip. "That same friend shot me with an arrow while we were trying out archery. Let's just say I'm a better archer than her." Hikaru snickered and I shrugged.

"Whatever, can you guys just please get out of here?!" Haruhi shouted, growing redder in the face. I laughed and the boys grumbled, walking out of the room.

"Right, Miss Roquette let's get your shots so you can leave." The nurse gestured for me to come over and I dragged Haruhi over with me. She looked at me but I just shook my head. The nurse pulled out two different needles and I shivered, turning to look at Haruhi so I wouldn't see it. Her mouth dropped into an 'o' and she grabbed my hand, giving me a reassuring smile.

"So tell me about your friend, Jessie, was it?" I knew what she was trying to do, and was thankfully for it.

"We've been best friends since birth. My dad knew her mom since they were born, and they were always over so it's not that surprising we ended up best friends." I flinched harshly as the nurse out the needle in my arm and Haruhi squeezed my hand to get my attention back on her. "We grew up together, and could barely be separated. It sucked a lot to move away from Nashville to come here, but I got to go visit her every summer since. We never stopped talking, at least, until a few weeks ago."

The nurse pulled the needle out and put in the other, and I felt like I was going to be sick.

"Why'd you stop talking, if you don't mind me asking?"

"I came out to her, after having known I was gay for the last few years, and she got angry that I didn't tell her before." Haruhi frowned, but I just smiled at her.

"It's fine, she'll come through and call me whenever she's ready."

* * *

><p>Speak of the Devil and she shall appear, Jessie called me that same night while I was getting ready to go over to Haruhi's and have dinner with her and meet her dad.<p>

"Hello, Mei?" I almost dropped the phone in shock, hearing none other than my best friend's voice over the phone.

"J-Jessie, hey. Uh, isn't it like four in the morning back home? Why are you calling?" I flinched at my stutter, and glanced around my apartment.

"I-I was still up anyway. It took forever to figure out the timezones." She grumbled something under her breathe and I snickered, sitting down on my couch. "B-But I'm calling to say that I'm s-s-sorry for how I reacted when you came out to me. That was w-wrong and I shouldn't have gotten angry." She sounded scared, like I wouldn't accept her apology.

"No, it's fine. I was honestly expecting worse." I chuckled, putting the phone between my ear and shoulder so I could pick at my hair.

"S-So you're not mad?"

"No, I'm not. Honestly, you're reaction is nothing compared to mom's." I needed someway to tell her I've been disowned.

"Oh my god, you told your mom?! What did she say?" I frowned,

"Well, I'm not longer a Jameson." She gasped and I wasn't really expecting what she said next.

"No, Mei, you'll always be a Jameson. Jameson was your dad's name, not your mom's. She had no right to take that from you!" She sounded pissed off, even more than when I'd come out. That actually gave me something to think about, though.

"Well, even so, I go by Roquette now. And I managed to get into this fancy rich school, and the principle was nice enough to offer to rent out an apartment for me." I explained everything that'd happened in the last few weeks, even my growing crush on Haruhi.

"Ooh, is she pretty? How tall is she? Is she nice?" I laughed, glancing at the clock.

"Look, I'll explain everything later. Go to bed and call me when you wake up. I'm about to go over and have dinner with her now." She squealed and I rolled my eyes, hanging up on her.

I threw my phone on the couch and left my apartment, going down a few doors to Haruhi's. I was going to knock and be polite, but that isn't really my thing so I just opened the door and walked in.

"Honey, I'm home!" I called out, grinning madly. Haruhi walked out of the kitchen, wiping her hands on a dish towel. A redhead was sat at the table, and I went over to shake his hand.

"Hi, you must be Haruhi's dad! I'm Mei Ja- uh, Roquette. Nice to meet you, Mr. Fujioka." I smiled, ignoring my stumble on my last name. He smiled back and stood up, shaking my hand excitedly.

"Please, call me Ranka! It's lovely to meet you. I'm so glad Haruhi made a girl friend." Oh boy, he's about as hyper as Tamaki.

"You're late." Haruhi deadpanned, going back over to the kitchen. I nodded at Ranka and followed her.

"Hey, it's not my fault." I shrugged, helping her carry the dishes to the table. "Jessie called me and we talked it out." I smiled, setting the food down in the middle of the table.

"Really? That's good." Haruhi smiled, looking extra cute in the apron that she was wearing, and my cheeks grew warm.

"Y-yeah, she apologized for how she acted a-and even said that I shouldn't have let my mother strip me of the family name since it wasn't even her's to begin with." Ranka looked at me with interest, and I tried not to stutter any more. "Jameson was actually my dad's name, so she didn't have the right to take it from me."

"Oh." She sat down and I followed, sitting across from Ranka and next to her.

"Was?" Ranka asked and I shifted, playing with my hands in my lap.

"My father passed from lung cancer a few years ago." I told them the same lie I told Kyoya, feeling guilty about lying. He really did die, but he didn't have lung cancer. That's what was said in the official records, though. If I told people the real reason he passed, I could be putting myself, and the people I told, in danger.

"Oh, I'm sorry for your loss." He frowned and I shrugged, smiling at him.

"It's okay. He died fighting, and any amount of crying now isn't going to bring him back."

It was silent for a moment and we started eating. Ranka asked about my life before coming to Ouran and I told him, even telling a few funny stories about Jessie and myself. It wasn't long before Ranka turned in for the night, leaving Haruhi and me alone. I played with the end of my shirt, not knowing what to do.

"I know what it's like to lose a parent." She spoke barely above a whisper. I glanced up to look at her, but she was staring at the wall. "I lost my mom when I was a kid." I put a hand on her shoulder and she looked at me, and I smiled.

"You know, what was it that you said earlier?" She asked and I paled.

"N-Nothing of importance. Don't worry about it, okay?" She stared at me for a moment before nodding. "Well, I should go back home, turn in for the night." We both stood up and she walked with me to the door. "Goodnight, Haruhi." I hugged her quickly and left, not looking back.

"N-Night, Mei."


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer; If I owned OHSHC, I'd throw in some cool supernatural subplot in it or something.**

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><p><em>"J-Jessie, I have to tell you something..." I looked over at my best friend, who paused her game of Skyrim to look at me. <em>

_"What is it? You know you can tell me anything, right Mei Mei?" She was honestly the only person who could get away with saying that._

_"I-I'm, uh," I cleared my throat, brushing my blonde hair out of my eyes, "I'm gay, and I k-kinda have been for the last few years?" It sounded more like a question, but it was the truth._

_"Wait, what?" She turned, putting all her attention on me. Her eyes narrowed and she glared at me. "Mei, are you shitting me right now or are you for real?"_

_"I'm t-telling the truth, Jessie, I'm a l-lesbian." If there was one person I was scared of rejecting me, it was my best friend and sister in all but blood and name._

_"How come you're only telling me this now?! I thought we weren't supposed to keep secrets from each other, Mei, that's what best friends do!" Oh shit, she was mad._

* * *

><p>I groaned, shoving my pillow over my head. I don't know what it was, but it felt like something was weighing me down, keeping me where I was. I didn't even know if I could gather up enough effort to get out of bed.<p>

Why even bother going to school? I'm ahead in all of my classes, the only thing I have to go to is the Host Club. And I don't think I have the right mentality to deal with that today. Listening to a bunch of girls squeal, and deal with the idiotic boys. Yeah, not exactly my cup of tea.

"Oh, **_la naiba_**." I huffed, trying to fall back asleep.

Someone knocked on my front door and I groaned again, pulling the blanket over my head to try and block it out.

"Mei, come on! You're going to be late for school!" I heard Haruhi shout through the door, but I just ignored her. There was more knocking, before it stopped. I sighed, curling into a small ball.

"Wake up!" The blanket was ripped off of me and I screamed, the cold air of my apartment hitting my harshly.

I peeked out from under my pillow to glare at Haruhi, who looked red in the face. Wh-?

Oh yeah, I'm only wearing boxers and a bra.

Whoooops.

"Haruhi, that's so rude. I could've been naked under here." I whined, throwing my pillow at her half-heartedly. She huffed and grabbed my arm, pulling me up so that I was sitting up on the bed.

"Get dressed and hurry up! I don't want to be late because of you." She ordered before leaving my room to let me get changed.

I pouted and walked over to my closet, grabbing a pair of faux leather leggings and a The 1975 sweater to put over a black tank top. I threw my pink hair up in a bun and grabbed my high tops and my bag, walking into my living room where Haruhi was impatiently waiting.

"Finally." She muttered and I just sighed, not wanting to start something so early in the morning. I slipped on my shoes and almost went over to grab my guitar, but decided that today was just not a day I want to deal with dragging it around everywhere. I grabbed Haruhi's hand and dragged her out, locking the apartment behind me.

"Aren't you forgetting your guitar?" She looked at me and I saw questioning in her eyes. I just shrugged and she left it alone, instead walking next to me.

* * *

><p>I pulled my pack of cigarettes from my bag and opened them up, pulling one out and throwing the back behind me. I pulled my lighter out of my bra and lit it, inhaling the first drag, looking out at the clouds. I had been up here since Haruhi dragged me to the school, acting like I was going to my first period class and coming up here instead. I've spent the entire day up here, napping or writing in my notebook. I exhaled, blowing the smoke out and coughing.<p>

"_If you're lost and alone, and you're sinking like a stone, carry on._" I sung quietly, inhaling another drag. I could feel my eyes start watering and sniffled. I don't even know why I was crying. It was just one of those days, I guess. I wiped my eyes before the tears could fall, clearing my throat. Come on, don't be wasting time crying over nothing. "_May your past be the sound, f your feet upon the ground. Carry on._"

There was this thing my father had told me once, before he passed. It was, "**_Una dintre cele mai simple moduri de a rămâne fericit, este de a da drumul din lucrurile care te fac trist._**" Which, in the English language, would read as, 'One of the simplest ways to stay happy, is to let go of the things that make you sad.'

Actually, I'm pretty sure that's a Wiz Khalifa quote, but whatever. Either way, it's always stuck with me, even after all this time.

I took another drag, gathering all the sad and melancholy feelings and shoving them into the back of my mind, into a safe that I could open when I have liquor. Now is not the time to be sad. This is high school, I should be getting drunk off my ass and making memories. Doing drugs, making mistakes, having lots of sex. That's what highs school is about, or at least according to every other TV Show and movie nowadays.

Then again, this is a prestigious school full of rich kids. The only liquor they've probably only ever tasted is the wine that their parents give them.

I scoffed, putting out my cigarette and throwing it over the edge of the roof. Stupid rich brats, always getting what they wanted in life. They wouldn't know hard work if it hit them in the face with a brick. I grab my pack of cigarettes and shoved it into my school bag, throwing it over my shoulder and standing. Looking at my watch, I groaned. Time for the Host Club.

* * *

><p>"Welcome!" I walked over to the window and sat down, not wanting to have guests today. I curled up in a ball and looked outside at the gardens. Maybe I should start caring for some plants...<p>

"What's wrong with Mei-chan?" I heard some girl whisper and sighed, messing the a loose thread on my dress.

"I don't know, should we go over and ask?"

"No, that could make things worse."

"Who even cares about her?" I heard a more snobbish voice say loudly. "She's nothing but an orphaned dyke bitch." I could feel the glare on my back from whoever said it.

I turned my head and looked for the source of the voice and glared. The black haired bitch smirked when she saw me looking at her and continued. "Honestly, I can totally understand why her mother disowned her. I wouldn't want such filth as my daughter either. And I heard from my mother, that her father was a Romani. He was probably some gypsy trash, just like little ol' Mei here."

I stood up, clenching my fists as my sides. Everyone turned to look at what was going on, but I ignored them.

"Who the _hell _do you think you are, talking shit about me like that? If you're going to do it, say it to my face." I walked over to her, towering over her but that didn't seem to phase her. I shoved her chest roughly, sending her stumbling back a few steps. "And don't you_ dare _talk about my father like that, you spoiled _cunt_."

The girl gasped and raised her hand to slap me, but I caught her wrist tightly. "How dare you call me such a name, you commoner! My father will hear about this!"

"Darlin', you aren't Draco Malfoy, this isn't Harry Potter, and, sorry to tell you, but you don't have any magic to hex me with." I let go of her hand and crossed my arms over my chest. "Faggot trash, huh? I've been called worse, and by my own mother none the less." I waved my hand dismissively, shrugging my shoulders. "Now, I'm going to have to ask you to please leave the room, because you are causing a disturbance to the guests."

"Oh _please_, you don't have the power to do that." She scoffed, putting her hands on her hips.

Kyoya walked up behind her and put a hand on her shoulder, a glare flashing over his glasses. "Miss, I'm going to have to ask you to leave. We do not tolerate such behavior in the club, and you are being very disrespectful to Miss Roquette."

She paled, before glaring at me and storming out of the room.

It was silent in the room, the only sound my harsh breathing. I clenched and unclenched my fists, ducking my head and blinking away the angry tears. I pressed my palms against my eyes, trying to hear anything past the loud thudding of my heart in my chest. "_S-Shit!_"

Someone put a hand on my shoulder and I dropped my hands, looking up and staring at Kyoya. "Mei, are you alright, after what that girl said?"

I wasn't, really, but I gave him a smile anyways. "Yeah, I'm fine! It's nothing I've never heard before."

He looked doubtful, but I just continued smiling. The Shadow King stared at me for a few more moments before taking his hand off of my shoulder and taking a step back. "Very well then. And please, refrain yourself from using such language in the club again."

I sighed, shrugging at him. "Yeah whatever, dude."

* * *

><p><strong>Yay, filler chapter. I probably would've written more, and posted this sooner, but I've been binge watching Hemlock Grove with my dad. Bill Skarsgård and Landon Liboiron are perf o3o. If I was straight, I'd climb them like a tree. Asdfghjk. I kept having two constant thoughts about the show while watching. One, there's so much sex in it, that it could be a porno with a long plot. And two, there was so much gore and blood you'd think it was a Quentin Tarantino movie. Just sayin.<strong>

**Leave me some song suggestions and shit, yo. I only have so many great songs on my Spotify playlist.**

**Reviews and feedback(including constructive criticism) are greatly appreciated and give me the motivation to continue writing this!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer; I own only my OCs. They work for me, I'm their Boss ;p**

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><p>She was remembering. Mei didn't want to remember. She'd specifically shoved these memories into the far back of her mind, locking them tight into a mental vault, only focusing on the present. But no matter how many fixes she's been doing since she enrolled into Ouran Private Academy, you can only do so much before it completely falls apart.<p>

The first memory hit her while she was dreaming, leaving her in a cold sweat when she woke up.

_"Mei, **draga**, this is my old friend Noah, his wife Elizabeth, and their daughter, Jessica." Mircea looked down at his daughter, giving her a warm smile. _

_The five year old looked at the family in front of her. Noah was tall, with green eyes and blond hair. He was skinny, and his legs looked like a chickens, but she wasn't about to say that out loud. The woman reminded Mei of her own mother; long, light brown hair, the brightest brown eyes Mei has seen in her short life, and she was a lot shorter than Noah. Finally, Mei turned her eyes towards the girl. She had short, dark brown hair, and blue eyes. She was pretty, unlike the snooty girls at school that turned their noses up at the sight of the half-Romanian girl._

_"Jessica just so happens to be your age, so why don't you go play with her?" Mei stared up at him, glancing between him and the small girl hiding between the blond man's legs. "Come on, **draga**, be nice and go play while the adults talk. The mention of adult talk made her frown and she shuffled over to the brunette, holding out her hand. _

_"C'mon, girly, before they start going on about grown up things." The brunette's eyes widened, and she stared at the hand for a moment before putting her's in it, letting the blonde drag her away from the adults and over towards the isolated play ground. "Can I call you Jessie? Jessica is too long."_

_"O-Okay." Jessica, or Jessie, just agreed, afraid of angering the girl that could be her friend. Mei frowned, putting her hands on her hips._

_"You don't speak up much, do 'ya?" The brunette shook her head, and Mei grinned, taking a hand off of her hip to point at her. Jessie flinched, expecting the blonde to insult her, but instead she was shocked at what came out of her mouth. "If you wanna be my friend, you gotta learn to stick up for yourself! I won't let you let those bullies push you around, no matter what! I'm not gonna have some sissy baby as my friend, so toughen up! 'Ya hear me?"_

_Jessie could only stare, her mouth hanging open in an 'o'. "If 'ya don't close your mouth, you're gonna catch flies!" She closed her mouth, frowning at the blonde, but she just continued on grinning._

If only she knew that the girl she'd just befriended would not only turn out to be her best friend, but also the reason she grew up with so many headaches.

Mei rolled over in the bed, shoving her face into the pillow. It'd been a while since she dreamt about anything involving her dad. She couldn't help but smile at the memory though. That was the day she met her sister in everything but blood and names, the person she trusted with her life. She definitely grew up to stand up for herself, that's for sure. Jessie never let anyone push her around after that.

She grabbed her phone and checked the time. 10:30 A.M., which was early for her on weekends. Knowing she wouldn't be falling back asleep, she got out of bed and went over to her closet, grabbing a pair of short shorts, a band tee, and a simple pair of black Converse. She headed towards the bathroom, turning the shower to the hottest it would go and stepped in.

As she was rubbing the crink out of her neck, she was assaulted with another memory.

_"Come on, Mei, get in!" Jessie looked over at her best friend, keeping her arms in constant motion so she wouldn't go under. They had snuck away from their parents, going to swim at the lake close by. Mei looked at the water, gnawing on her bottom lip. She'd never swam before, never had the time with how much her mother forced the family of three to move around. _

_The eight year old looked at her friend, her cheeks growing bright red. "I- um, don't know how." _

_"Then I can teach you, silly. Now get in and I'll show you how to keep your head above water." Jessie stared hard at her friend, before the girl sighed and walked down the concrete boat dock, flinching when the water got up just past her stomach._

_"T-This is far enough." Jessie rolled her eyes and swam over, grabbing Mei's hands and dragging her further into the water until it was up to her shoulders._

_"Keep your hands going like this, and kick your feet." She instructed, showing Mei how to do it._

Mei wrung out her hair, wrapping it up in a towel so she could get dressed. She pulled her shorts on, sucking in slightly so she could button it. Damn, she needed to lay off of the ramen for a little bit, maybe go for a walk.

Just the idea made her snort as she pulled the towel off of her head, letting her damp hair fall. It was getting long, maybe to the middle of her back. She should get it cut soon, just to have some change. She threw it up in a messy bun, not wanting to deal with it today. She pulled her shirt over her head, glancing at the fading My Chemical Romance logo.

"Morning, Alduin." She greeted the ball python that she'd bought, grabbing his meal for the week and quickly feeding him. She couldn't help but watch, fascinated by how the tiny noodle could swallow a small field mice whole. Shrugging, she grabbed her phone and her wallet, leaving her apartment and walking down to Haruhi's.

She knocked once before walking inside, smirking at the half awake Ranka on her way to the kitchen. She immediately starting making breakfast, which turned into a simple meal of eggs and toast because she was too lazy and they didn't have the ingredients for what she normally made. Mei made tea for Haruhi and Ranka, and coffee for herself. After coming over and making breakfast for them so many times on the weekend, she now kept a bag of coffee beans next to the tea.

"Breakfast!" She called, and Ranka basically sprinted over to get some food.

"Oh thank you, Mei! You sure are a gift!" He hugged her around her middle, rubbing his cheek against her head. She just sighed and patted his arm before shoving him off and making him sit so he could eat.

"You know, you don't _have _to come over and make breakfast for us every weekend." Haruhi told her as she walked in, running a hand through her short brown hair. She was dressed in her casual wear, a pair of cargo shorts and a tank top. Mei blushed, more embarrassed than anything, and busied herself with making the female Host's plate.

"I-It's habit. Whenever Jessie and them lived near-by, I'd always go over on the weekends and break into their house early in the morning to make breakfast." She smiled, making her own plate before sitting down. "They always complained about how one day I was going to use all their stuff, but I could tell they were grateful. Having jobs with long hours all week, they liked having someone else take care of the house for them." The pink girl shoveled a forkful of food into her mouth before continuing once she'd swallowed.

"It's no problem, really. I actually like cooking for people. Or just taking care of them in general." Haruhi stared at her, curious and interested, before starting to eat. "I also wanted to ask you something. Would you like to come to the mall with me today? You don't have to buy anything, I doubt I am unless it's on sale, but it'd be nice to have someone to hang out with."

Haruhi contemplated it for a moment, going over what she had to do. There was laundry to be done, and she needed to do dishes as well. Ranka smiled at his daughter,

"Go ahead, Haruhi. I can do dishes and laundry today." When she opened her mouth to argue, he was quick to shut her down. "Seriously, go have a girls day."

"Yeah, let's have a girls day, Haruhi." Mei grinned, nudging her friend's shoulder. Haruhi just sighed and continued eating, nodding to her insane friend.

* * *

><p>"<strong><em>Oh,<em>_ Doamne!_**" Mei almost shouted, holding up the pink and black sundress up to herself. "This is beautiful!" She checked the price tag and immediately put it back on the rack. "Nevermind." Haruhi laughed at her, but she knew the feeling well.

"Oh, that's cute!" Haruhi sighed and let her friend drag her around.

"Okay, we've been looking around this store enough. How about lunch?" She had gotten paid recently by the Dean for groceries, and lunch counted as food so she was going to use the card for that.

"Alright, where do you wanna go?" They walked to the food court and Mei glanced around for a bit before dragging Haruhi over to McDonalds. She was still surprised that they actually had them in Japan.

They both ordered they food, with Mei paying, and walked over to one of the smaller tables off to the side. Mei opened her Chicken Fillet and took a bite, almost moaning at how delicious it was. She took a sip of her milkshake before smirking at Haruhi.

"You know, this could be considered a date." She wiggled her eyebrows and Haruhi rolled her eyes, taking a bite out of her Big Mac.

"So your idea of a date is taking a girl to McDonalds?" The half-Romani faltered at that and she pouted, making Haruhi laugh.

"If she was into it, then I don't see why not." She shrugged, stealing some fries off of Haruhi's tray. "Personally, I'd be happy on any date as long as I got fed."

"You and your stomach." Haurhi shook her head, sighing. "I swear, you're like a black hole." Mei just grinned, continuing to eat her meal.

"So, you interested in anyone in the Host Club?" She asked, and Haruhi almost choked on her food. She coughed, setting down the burger and grabbing her drink.

"No, what would make you think that?" At Mei's shrug, she continued. "I mean, sure they're handsome, that's a given, but I don't like anyone." Mei barely managed to hide her sigh of relief, instead taking a sip of her milkshake.

"What about you? You interested in anyone?" Mei's face lit up and she looked away, making Haruhi grin. "You are! Who is she?"

"N-No one that you know. She doesn't ev-"

"But Mommy! I want to go to that place!" Both girls looked over to see a small girl, no older than four, tugging on her annoyed mother's hand, pointing at one of the restaurants at the other side of the food court.

"Yuki, I said no! Now quit your fussing."

Mei's eyes widened, and her breath caught in her throat. The world seemed to fade out, just for a split second, but she could still hear the same words her mother told her when she was almost that young.

_"But mom, I want to go over there! They have more cool stuff."_

_"No, Mei, now shut the hell up. I'm on the phone."_

"I-I need to go to the restroom." Mei stood on shaky legs and almost sprinted over to the bathrooms, ignoring Haruhi's concerned looks.

Locking herself in the handicapped stall, she sat down in the corner, any concern over how gross the floor probably is in the back of her mind. She put her head between her knees, rocking slightly. She gripped at the back of her neck, gasping for air.

_"Isn't paying attention to your daughter more important than your phone?" Even at the young age of ten, Mei was still sassy and outspoken._

_"Not when it's getting you the money to buy your clothes and toys." Michelle glared at her daughter, who could have been a splitting image of herself, had it not been for the girl inheriting her father's eyes and nose. Mei huffed, crossing her arms over her chest._

_"If you're so busy with the phone call, then give me the card and I'll go over there myself." The woman scoffed, looking down at her daughter. _

_"And how do I know you're not going to buy everything and anything in the store?" Mei rolled her eyes, glaring back at her mother._

_"Please, if you actually paid any attention to me, you'd know I don't ask for much. All I want is books and music, nothing stupid like all the other girls in my grade."_

_"Maybe you should buy some of those things, then you'd actually have a friend other than Jessica." She pulled her wallet out, handing the black credit card to her daughter._

_"I don't need anyone else except for her, and it's Jessie. I don't need those makeup obsessed brats as friends." Her mother just rolled her eyes and waved her away._

"Damn it!" Mei punched the floor tile, ignoring the pain it sent through her hand. "Why am I remembering everything today?!" She cried, grasping at her hand with her other hand. "**_Am totul închis pentru un__ motiv!_**" She punched the ground again, scraping her knuckles across the tile and accidentally splitting the skin. She could feel hot tears rushing down her face, and she wiped them away angrily with her clean hand.

"_**Haide, Mei, înăsprească. Nu mai plânge ca un**_**_ copil_.**" She sniffled, managing to get the energy to stand up. She unlocked the stall door and walked out, going to the sink to wash her hands, ignoring the dirty look one woman gave her. Mei managed to get the bleeding to stop on her hand and walked out, going back to the table where Haruhi was cleaning up their food.

"Sorry, I wasn't feeling well." She sighed, feeling bad for ending the day early. "Um, I'm gonna head on home. I'm not feeling all that fancy, and I don't want you getting sick if I have anything."

The brunette didn't look like she believed a word that she said. "Are you okay?"

"Depends on your definition of okay." She shrugged, giving Haruhi a small smile. "I'll see you later, _**draga**_, alright?"

Haruhi wanted to ask what that meant, but the pink haired woman was already walking away.

* * *

><p>Mei browsed through the isles of liquor store, not finding anything to her tastes, honestly. She sighed and walked over to the vodka, looking for the hardest stuff they had.<p>

Walking up to the cashier, she put the three different bottles that she found on the counter, pulling out her (fake) I.D. and money. She'd only really picked those specific bottles because they had cool looking designs on them, but the cashier didn't need to know that.

"Are you really 23?" The man kept looking between the card and her, making her even more agitated.

"Yes, now can you please sell me the goddamn liquor? I've had a shitty week." She snapped, and he scoffed before handing her back the I.D. and scanned the bottles.

"That'll be 6240 yen, please." Damn, she must have gotten expensive liquor. She just sighed and handed him the money, not bothering to grab her change, just grabbed the brown paper bag that held her liquor and walked out.

* * *

><p>"I didn't ask for all this shit to happen to me!" She grumbled to her ball python, who just flicked his tongue at the drunk girl.<p>

"I didn't ask for my dad to pass a few years ago. I didn't ask for my mother to kick me out, for my best friend to temporarily ditch me, along with everyone else. I didn't ask to become friends with the best people I've met, even though I'll probably leave before the year is done." She took a sip, straight from the bottle, and coughed. "I didn't ask for shit, but life just _loves _throwing it at me."

Of course, she hadn't already finished the other two bottles, not wanting to have to go to the hospital for alcohol poisoning, but she was almost done with the first.

"Life sucks. And it's short." She was crying, but she didn't notice.

She was just numb, all over.

Her apartment was trashed, with sheets of music everywhere, and left over ramen packets here and there, and the ever growing collection of Monster cans on her coffee table. That was scattered around everywhere, after she'd cleared the table in a fit of rage. Pillows and couch cushions were thrown about, and her lamp was broken.

"Jeeze, this would all be different if dad didn't die." She finished off her bottle and threw it, not even flinching when it shattered against the wall. "I could be travelling all over the world, just like he promised. He was supposed to divorce that witch, get custody over me, and we were supposed to go live the life of a gypsy, like he wanted me to experience so badly."

_"**Fiica mea dragă, te rog, nu plânge.**" Mircea smiled warmly at his beautiful, thirteen year old daughter. He raised his hand to brush away her tears, his cold ring causing goosebumps to rise. "**Doar pentru că nu va mai trăi în lumea fizică, nu înseamnă că se va opri trăiesc în inima ta. Eu voi fi mereu acolo, ori de câte ori ai nevoie de mine.**" He put his hand on her chest, right where her heart was. She cried even harder, leaning over and burying her face in his chest. He was too young to go, she still needed him. _

_"**Nu e corect, ceea ce a făcut aceste poliție pentru tine!**" She sniffed, clenching a fist full of the hospital gown. Her father, the man that was supposed to walk her down the isle and dance with her at her wedding, was dying, due to some stupid racist hate crime. They'd believed he had stolen some jewelry, when really he had been buying a necklace for Mei. They shot him twice, both striking him in the chest, going through his lungs. Mei had screamed and called 911 immediately, yelling curses at the cops in both English and Romani. She was forced to explain that he wasn't stealing, but they didn't believe her. _

_"**Nu-i nimic, dar prost rasist rahat!**" She cried, and her father rubbed her arm comfortingly. _

_"**Uita-te la limba ta. Ce s-ar crede mama ta dacă te-a auzit vorbind așa?**" Mei couldn't help but scoff at her father's words._

_"Please, she doesn't care about me. She never has." Her father gave her a look, and opened his mouth to respond, when it happened. _

_His eyes slid shut and he started convulsing, almost sending Mei off the bed. She gasped and jumped off, running to the door._

_"Someone, please! Something is happening to my father!" She screamed and nurses and a doctor ran in, trying to stop him. _

_She could barely understand the medical nonsense they were shouting, but she heard the words 'seizure' and 'coding', which could be anything but good. She watched at they tried helping him, when he just stopped, and his heart monitor displayed that continuous long line she'd been dreading._

_"NO! Please, **salvați-l**!" She screamed and a nurse rolled in this cart, and the doctor grabbed the paddles and put them on her father's chest. She flinched when his body jerked off of the board they'd put under him, but the heart monitor didn't change. They tried again. And again. And a third time, but still nothing. The doctor looked at his watch, his face grim, and called the time of death._

_Mei dropped to her knees, sobbing and screaming. _

The half-Romani girl jerked, and she became aware that she was shaking and crying, and there was a metallic smell in the air. She felt her nose, where something was dripping, and flinched at the sight of blood. She grabbed a random t-shirt that was laying around and put it under her nose, standing up on wobbly feet.

"Damn it! After all this time of blocking this shit out, why do I have to remember it now?!" She shouted, punching the wall to her left with the same hand she'd injured earlier. Someone banged on the wall, shouting something about shutting up. She groaned, rubbing her face. Mei looked up at the ceiling, her eyes closed. "I'm sorry I turned out this way, **_tată_**. I know this isn't what you had planned for me. But shit happens."

Yeah.

Shit happens.

* * *

><p><strong>The language I'm using is Romanian, and it's off of Google Translate, but I do know that Romanian and Romani are two different things. Here are the translations, though.<strong>

**_Draga_ - Darling**

**_Oh,__ Doamne! _- Oh, God!**

**_Am totul închis pentru un motiv!_ - I closed them off for a reason!**

**_Haide, Mei, înăsprească. Nu mai plânge ca un copil_ - Come on, Mei, toughen up. Stop crying like a baby.**

**_Fiica mea dragă, te rog, nu plânge. _- My darling daughter, please do not cry. **

**_Doar pentru că nu va mai trăi în lumea fizică, nu înseamnă că se va opri trăiesc în inima ta. Eu voi fi mereu acolo, ori de câte ori ai nevoie de mine. _- Just because I will no longer be living in the physical world, does not mean I will stop living in your heart. I will always be there, whenever you need me.**

**_Nu e corect, ceea ce a făcut aceste poliție pentru tine! _- It's not fair, what the police did to you!  
><strong>

**_Nu-i nimic, dar prost rasist rahat_ - Nothing but stupid racist bullshit!**

**_Uita-te la limba ta. Ce s-ar crede mama ta dacă te-a auzit vorbind așa?_ - Watch your language. What would your mother think if she heard you talking like that?**

**_salvați-l _- save him!**

**__tată _- _father**

**They most likely don't match up if you actually put them through Google Translate, cause it's a piece of shit. But eh.**

**Reviews and feedback are appreciated!**


	7. Authors Note

**I'm like really sorry if you were expecting a chapter, because this is not one. **

**Yeah so writers block has just came and hit me like a truck, for basically everything I've been working on. Which is a lot more than just the stories I've been posting on here. **

**It sucks because I love the three stories I have up now but I cannot for the life of me think of what to do next. And if I do think of something, it doesn't turn out the way I want it so I'll end up deleting everything I've written so far.**

**Eh.**

**And when I do have an idea, I can't bring myself to work on it. It's not common knowledge, but I do have severe depression, and a lot of the time I can't bring myself to do anything. Whether it be writing, working on school, that sort of stuff. I'll try writing when I feel like it, but I lose interest way too quickly.**

**I'm sorry for taking so long, I really am.**

**- Jay**


	8. Author's Note

**Hi. So. I'm redoing this story? It has definitely not turned out the way I wanted it to, so far. Mei has definitely not been how I wanted her to be. **

**The new story is going to be a lot different than it is now. But yeah. **

**The story is up and called _House of Gold_. **

**(:**


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